Ring



'JKHOCHENAUER, n.

RING.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 14, 1920.

'Pawiitea Feb. 28, 1922.

' v INVENTOR .foh wfl oohenawelf ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN HOOHENAUER, JR, OF ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO MISSOURI PAPER PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

RING.

' Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb 28, 1922 Application filed October 14, 1920. Serial No. 416,989.

To all whom 2'25 may concern:

Be-it known that I, Jonnl-Ioor-rnnnunn, Jr. citizen of the United States, residing at t. Joseph, in the county of Buchanan and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful.Improvements in Rings, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to an improved ring designed for use by school children in connection with temporary book covers or bind-- ers.

The essential peculiarity of my improved ring resides in its being constructed of sheet metal, preferably steel, bent in two directions, first bent around laterally to form a hollow bar with a narrow open space between the meeting edges, and secondly, bent longitudinally-to constitute a ring with the meeting ends of the bar unattached.

A second feature of my invention is the provision of a stud or ball-like end on one extremity adapted to lit in the hollow end of the opposite extremity, where the two ends come together in forming the open ring.

The result of this construction is cheapness of production, capacity of the ring to be opened by springing the meeting ends apart from one another, the ability of the members to spring back in line, and the readiness with which the meeting ends can be attached and detached to make the ring practically closed or to open it.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1, is a side elevation of my improved ring;

Fig. 2, is an edge view thereof,

Fig. 8, is a similar plan view with the ring open showing how the ends can be sprung apart;

Figs, is a transverse sectional View showing how the metal is folded to constitute 01 the ring a hollow rod ortube; and T Fig. 5, is a view of the blank from'which the ring is struck up. a

The numeral 1 designates the blank from which my improved ring is made. This blank is preferably thin sheet metal, sufiiciently resilient to cause the ring to be made from it to have the quality of flexibility, so that its meeting ends may be sprung apart but will spring back in their place when permitted to do so. This blank is first bent or folded longitudinally so as to form a tube.

By preference the meeting edges or open seam where the edges con'ie near together is on the outer periphery of the completed ring, though, of course, it is obvious'that the metal may be bent so as to bring this open seam. on the inner periphery of the ring.

In either case this tube is then subjected to a bending process by which it is fashioned into the form of a ring, the two meeting ends being left unattached. One of them forms a socket as at 2, being tubular, while the other is provided with a ball-like termination 3, as by soldering a small ball to it, or by spinning and grinding it down to a ball-like extremity, or by swaging the tubular end and ball together. This ball readily enters part way into the opposing tubular end and thus forms a joint which, while sufiicientto lock the parts together, still permits them to be sprung apart. But, of course, I do not limit myself to any particular form of construction or joint at the meeting ends. r

In practice this ring has been found to be very satisfactory and efiicient. The meeting ends can readily be sprung apart so that the ring may be inserted through perforations in sheets of paper used in connection with temporary binders, or otherwise used.

lVhen freed by the hand the meeting ends readily come together again, due to the resiliency of the material of which the folded ring is made and due also to the fact that the ring is in skeleton form, that is, is hollow so that there is only a shell of metal which has to be sprung to one side when the ends are parted, and this shell of metal being springy readily returns the meeting ends to each other. And then being constructed of a folded strip the ring is very strong as against any strains tending to pull it out straight. V v r The ring is also susceptible of very economic manufacture, the stamping and bending processes only being required to make the ring itself. And as before stated the spherical termination of one of the open ends makes a good form of catch to spring into the tubular opposite end.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The herein described article of manu facture, consisting of a hollow open ring, composed of asheet metal stock foldedto form Be l an elastic tube having a narrow lengthwise slit and bent to ring shape a ball of sub stantially the same diameteras the tube fastened to one end thereof and slightly projecting into the other end of the tube Whereby the ends of the elastic tube may be held in alignment but may be easily pushed laterally out of alignment.

2. The herein described article of manufacture, consisting of a hollow open ring, composed of a sheet metal stock folded to form an elastic tube having a narrow lengthwise slit and bent to ring shape, a ball of substantially the same diameter as the outer diameter of the tube but substantially larger than the inner diameter of the tube fastened slitted ring divided to leave two opposing ends, and a ball fastened Within one end and of such a size as to partly but not completely enter into the hollow opposing end whereby a slight lateral push Will separate the ends of the ring.

In testimony whereof, I a'flix my signature.

JOHN HOOHENAUER, Jr. 

